How to write 不 (bù) — stroke order

不 (bù) means “not, no.” It is written with 4 strokes, and its radical is 一 (yī, “one”). The strokes go 横, 撇, 竖, 点. Use it right away in a real line: 不要辣 (Bú yào là), “No spice, please.”

Strokes: 4
Radical: 一 (yī, “one”) · Kangxi 1
Meaning: not, no
Traditional: 不 (same)

Watch it, then trace it

Tap Watch strokes for the order. Tap Trace it and draw each stroke with your finger or mouse.

不

bù

Stroke order, step by step

1 横
2 撇
3 竖
4 点

Stroke 1 of 4 · 横 héng (horizontal): starts at the top left, goes to the right.
Stroke 2 of 4 · 撇 piě (left-falling): starts at the top, goes down to the left.
Stroke 3 of 4 · 竖 shù (vertical): starts at the centre, goes down.
Stroke 4 of 4 · 点 diǎn (dot): starts at the centre, goes down to the right.

Writing tip

Across first, then the left sweep, then the vertical, and the dot on the right last.

Lines on Hanyuwu with 不

不要辣 Bú yào là — No spice, please.Here 不 is said bú (bù).
我不能吃辣 Wǒ bù néng chī là — I can't eat spicy food.Here 不 is said bù.
不要香菜 Bú yào xiāngcài — No cilantro, please.Here 不 is said bú (bù).
不要了 Bú yào le — No more, thanks.Here 不 is said bú (bù).

Questions

How many strokes does 不 have?

不 has 4 strokes. Across first, then the left sweep, then the vertical, and the dot on the right last.

What is the radical of 不?

The radical of 不 is 一 (yī, “one”), Kangxi radical 1.

How do you pronounce 不?

Bù, fourth tone. In 不要辣 and 不要香菜 and 不要了 it is said bú.

Is 不 different in traditional Chinese?

No. 不 is written the same way in traditional Chinese.

Where will I use 不 in China?

In lines like 不要辣 (No spice, please), 我不能吃辣 (I can't eat spicy food), 不要香菜 (No cilantro, please).

Write 不要辣 · Write 我不能吃辣 · Write 不要香菜

Printable practice sheet for 不

Next characters: 我 · 要 · 辣 · 能 · 吃 · 香 · 菜 · 了

Stroke animation: Hanzi Writer (MIT). Stroke shapes: Make Me a Hanzi via hanzi-writer-data, derived from Arphic PL fonts, Arphic Public License. Stroke counts: Unihan 17.0.0. Credits and licences